1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system, computer, image forming apparatus and printing method for combining a stamp image with an original image in overlaying relationship so as to form a composite image and printing the composite image on recording paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some of image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals have a function of, when printing an original image, combining a stamp image including, for example, characters, a graphic or a symbol with the original image so as to form a composite image and printing the composite image on recording paper.
With such an image forming apparatus, for example, default stamp images are stored in memory of the image forming apparatus, and a stamp image is read out from the memory and combined with an original image when the original image is printed, and the resulting composite image is printed on recording paper.
JP 2002-333959A (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a printing system in which a stamp image is combined with an original image by a personal computer, the resulting composite image is transmitted from the personal computer to an image forming apparatus via a network, and the composite image is printed on recording paper by the image forming apparatus.
However, in the case where the default stamp images stored in the memory of the image forming apparatus are used, there is a small selection of stamp images, and therefore it is often the case that the stamp images do not meet user's needs. Also, with the image forming apparatus, it is not possible to combine a plurality of different stamp images with an original image.
In the case where a stamp image is combined with an original image by a personal computer as in Patent Document 1, although a variety of stamp images can be used, an image transmitted from the personal computer to the image forming apparatus is a composite image obtained by combining a stamp image with an original image. Accordingly, selecting a stamp image is not possible on the image forming apparatus side, and an original image read on the image forming apparatus side cannot be combined with a stamp image. In other words, this configuration has a problem of poor usability.